Building suitable sets for locally compact groups by means of continuous selections (Q1013806)

A subset \(X\) of a topological group \(G\) is called a suitable set for \(G\) if \(X\) is discrete, \(X\cup\{1_G\}\) is closed, and the subgroup generated by \(X\) is dense in \(G\). The paper provides a new, completely elementary proof for the result that every locally compact group has a suitable set, first proved by \textit{K.~H. Hofmann} and \textit{S.~A. Morris} [J.~Pure Appl. Algebra 68, 181--194 (1990; Zbl 0728.22006)]. The new proof uses a selection theorem due to \textit{E.~Michael} [Am. Math. Mon. 63, 233--238 (1956; Zbl 0070.39502)] and basic results from topology and the theory of topological groups. The selection theorem, of course, has an elementary proof itself. The exposition is extremely clear: all necessary facts and intermediate steps are numbered and either proved or equipped with references to standard texts.